


Far From Olympus

by EmeraldHeiress



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Under the Red Hood
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Don't copy to another site, Female Jason Todd, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Identity Reveal, Protective Bruce Wayne, Soft Bruce Wayne
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-08 12:14:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21475852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldHeiress/pseuds/EmeraldHeiress
Summary: “You cared.” She stated, voice filled with too many emotions.“Of course I cared.” Bruce choked as his shadow fell over her. “Of course I did. I do. I always will.”He was quickly on the cave floor next to her, a hand carefully grasping her chin and turning her face toward him. She put up no resistance as he gently began to peel the secondary mask off her face.“Always so dramatic.” He softly teased as it lifted off over her nose.She laughed wetly.As it came off completely, she saw tears fall from his lashes and down his face, “There you are. My baby girl.”
Relationships: Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
Comments: 39
Kudos: 578





	Far From Olympus

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Garpie64](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Garpie64/gifts).

_What the fuck was that?! _

Jai froze as she walked passed a suit display case. She hadn’t been in this part of the Cave since she’d been welcomed as Red Hood. She knew that the passage lead up to the Manor, lockers, and showers. There had been no reason when she didn’t change gear here. When she never took her helmet off. But Stephanie had wanted to show her something she brought today…

Which meant she had never seen the display before.

Holy shit, that was…

“She was the second Robin.” Stephanie’s voice was suddenly soft. Almost reverent. “Bruce’s daughter, Jaisa. She… the Joker killed her six years ago. He keeps her suit here as a memorial.”

Fresh bouquets of hyacinth, marigolds, and tulips arranged in vases on either side of the case. Her favorite flowers.

“They still visit and talk to her sometimes. It’s sweet, if a little creepy. Bruce always used to compare me to her. It was exhausting. Nothing I did was ever as good as she was. But from everything he and Dick said she was absolutely amazing.” Stephanie smiled slightly. “I remember seeing her in action a few times myself when I was younger.” She began to ramble, telling Jaisa everything Bruce had told her about… herself. All the wonderful things.

But the blonde’s words faded as the roaring in Jaisa’s ears increased. She couldn’t stop staring at the words on the plaque at the bottom of the display. The words etched in the metal beneath the suit she had been wearing when she’d died. The suit that had been lovingly stitched back together.

**Jaisa Petra Wayne**

**Beloved Daughter**

**Forever in Our Hearts**

Tears poured unchecked down her cheeks. Not that she could do anything about them with the helmet in the way.

They missed her. Bruce missed her. Loved her. Still.

Would he still love her if he knew that she was the Red Hood? Was it fair to assume that he wouldn’t?

She couldn’t breathe. She needed air.

She popped the airlock on her helmet and took great gasps of the cool cave air.

“_Roja?_” Stephanie’s asked, incredulously, as she saw the face of the Red Hood for the first time. As she saw the tear tracks trailing down her face.

Jaisa had no answer for her, eyes still glued to the case - to the plaque. She knelt to trace the letters.

“Red, you’re crying. Did you know her?” The blonde asked carefully, unsure.

A sob worked its way out of Jai’s chest.

Stephanie shifted on her feet before declaring, “I’m going to get Bruce.” Her footsteps turned and quickly faded away.

Adrenaline coursed through Jai’s veins and anxiety suddenly turned in her stomach. She should get up. Put her helmet on and go while she still had a chance to do so. Disappear. Leave Gotham for good.

Get the fuck out before she broke Bruce’s heart again.

But she couldn’t move. She was rooted to the spot.

Footsteps hurried toward her; this time she could make out Bruce’s heavy measured one’s accompanying Batgirl.

“I don’t understand, B, she saw Jaisa’s memorial and just… broke down.” Her voice was low, but Jai could hear Stephanie explain what had happened to the man.

She knew when he caught sight of her. His steps faltered and he took a sharp breath. She’d always thought he would recognize her on sight. It was why she’d always refused to take off her helmet. Why she’d never let him or Dick get too close for too long. She guessed she was right. 

“You _cared_.” She stated, voice filled with too many emotions.

“Of course I cared.” Bruce, her _father_, choked as his shadow fell over her. “Of course I did. I _do_. I _always will_.”

He didn’t even ask. He didn’t deny. He only accepted.

He was quickly on the cave floor next to her, a hand carefully grasping her chin and turning her face toward him. She put up no resistance as he gently began to peel the secondary mask off her face.

“Always so dramatic.” He softly teased as it lifted off over her nose.

She laughed wetly.

As it came off completely, she saw tears fall from his lashes and track down his face, “There you are. My baby girl.”

“Daddy.” Her voice cracked as she wept, “I’m sorry!” She was apologizing for everything. For hiding herself from him. For dying. For running away at fifteen. For the things he didn’t, and hopefully wouldn’t _ever_, know about.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hair. “Oh, Jaisa. It’s okay. It’ll be alright.” He rocked her gently. “It’ll be alright, sweetheart. We’ll get it figured out.”

Bruce looked up to see Stephanie staring at the both of them, wide-eyed and confused. “Steph, would you call Nightwing back to the cave and take his patrols for the evening? And let everyone else know the three of us won’t be out tonight?”

Stunned, she only nodded and moved away, toward the Batcomputer. It would take a good forty minutes for Dick to get back to the Manor.

His daughter. Red Hood was his _daughter_. His lost child. He gently rubbed circles on her back as her tears leaked through his shirt. God, all this time. How long had she been alive? At least five years now, he knew. What had she been through?

Some of the things they knew... Pieces of her backstory they'd unearthed. What Damian had been able to tell them of her time with the League. Rage began to stir deep in his belly as he remembered what he knew of _Red Hood’s_ past. The things they had learned. The scars they had glimpsed. The _brand_ on her ribs.

_Ra’s_.

There would be hell to pay.

Fire would rain down on the League of Shadows. They would know - _Ra's would know_ \- the fury of the Bat. He'd contact Talia in the morning. She'd been looking for support against her father. For now, though, he had something more pressing that needed his care.

“Jai.” He murmured. “Jai, sweetheart, let's get off the floor.”

A hesitant nod.

He could work with that. Carefully, he rose, bringing Jaisa with him. When they were standing, he hugged her tightly tucking her under his chin and just… breathed.

She was alive.

_She was home._

After a moment, he pulled away. Cradling her face with his hands, he gently wiped her tears with his thumbs and kissed her forehead.

“Do you want some Earl Grey?”

“Only if it’s Alfie’s.” She replied, longingly. His daughter had been too long without the comforts of _home_.

“Of course it’ll be Alfred’s.” He scoffed lightly. “No one else makes it nearly as well.”

He pulled her gently toward the staircase to the Manor, grateful that he hadn’t changed for patrol, yet. He had a feeling Jai could get away with breaking the “no suits in the Manor” rule tonight.

“Up we go.”

“You don’t have to use your victim voice on me, B.” She grumbled. “I’m emotional, not in shock.”

He winced. He hadn’t realized he was. “Sorry.”

A few minutes later Bruce was firmly sitting her down on a stool in the kitchen and starting the kettle on the stove.

“Are you sure you should be doing that?” She asked, tiredly, resting her head in her hands. Trying to tease.

“I can at least start the water while we wait for Alfred’s butler-sense to kick in.” Blue eyes roved over her. “How are you feeling?”

“Headache.” Came the near-whispered reply.

“All that crying.” Bruce nodded, unsurprised. He wet a small towel under the cold tap and wrung it before walking over to Jai. He pulled her back against his chest and pressed the cool cloth to her forehead, like he used to do when she was young.

She sighed in relief as the ache in her head began to abate almost immediately.

“Dad?”

He could tell by her tone of voice - _god, to hear her voice again_ \- he wasn’t going to like whatever was going to come out of her mouth next. So he just… avoided it. There was no need to add any more complications to the evening. No need to ruin the moment.

“Later.” He soothed. Or _never_. Now, that he knew who was under the helmet… he thought he knew what she was going to say. _Confess_ to. He could suddenly live without solving those particular mysteries.

Sharp ears caught the sound of footsteps approaching. Alfred. That butler sixth sense never failed. A moment later, the man himself entered the kitchen and only raised a brow, despite the irregularity of what greeted him.

Of course, he couldn’t tell who Jai was just yet.

“Tea, then, is it?” The old butler astutely observed.

“Oh, please, Alfie.” Jai murmured. “Your Earl Grey?”

Bruce watched the man pause and look a little closer at the women on the stool. “You might want to sit down first, Alfred.” He cautioned his father figure. “You’re in for a shock.”

The older man slid onto one of the stools, knowing when to take Bruce seriously, and waited. Bruce removed the cloth from Jai’s forehead and nudged her gently. She lowered her head and turned anxious blue eyes on her grandfather.

“_Jaisa_?” The man half rose off his stool before he knew it.

“Hi, Alfie.” She looked down and nervously picked at a rough spot on the counter.

“Jai!” Alfred was across the kitchen in a flash, arms around the woman as tears gathered in his eyes, “My darling girl. My little bluejay.” She squeezed him back just as tightly, crying anew. Over her head, he turned wondering eyes on Bruce.

The other man could only shake his head. He didn’t know, yet, the why of anything. Or the how. Only that she was here. And had been for months.

After a moment, the old butler withdrew, pressing his lips gently to the crown of her head. “I think we need that tea.”

Bruce took the chance to swoop in with the still-damp towel, gently wiping her face.

Jaisa jerked back, scowling at him. “I’m not a child, B.” Snatching the towel from his hands, she did it herself, letting the water soothe her irritated eyes.

Bruce’s heart clenched. She wasn’t. When she’d died, she had been fifteen. Alfred and he had been making plans for her sweet sixteen party and gala. Now, she sat at the island, twenty-two years old. They’d had more years without her than they’d had with her. Even taking into account the last several months they had gotten without knowing who she was…

They had a lot of time to make up for.

A lot of talking to do.

He couldn’t stop himself from reaching out again and placing a hand on her shoulder. She leaned into the touch and sighed, hiding her face from his gaze.

“I’m sorry.” She muttered.

He squeezed her shoulder lightly, “Stop apologizing. You had your reasons. We’ll talk about them. Regardless, you thought you were doing the right thing and it’s a moot point now.”

“Indeed. What matters is you’re here.” Alfred interjected as he placed a plate of cookies in front of them, along with teacups and the pot. Experience told her the tea would need to steep for a few minutes before Alfred would be ready to pour but that he would time it to perfection.

He tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “My dear, your absence has been felt every single day.”

Looking into her grandfather’s steel-blue eyes, Jaisa found herself admitting something she’d never said out loud.

“I wanted to come home every day.”

“Why didn’t you, child?” Alfred gently asked.

“_How could I?_ The things I’ve _done! _The th-things -” She stuttered.

Bruce saw her fingers brush her ribs, where he knew the brand lay, and the rage was back. _The things that had been done to her._ She didn't need to say it. He took a deep breath and struggled to let it go. This was not the time.

Jaisa looked down. “I’m not _Robin_ anymore. I can’t _ever_ be Robin again.” She meant more than just the title. She meant the ideals behind the name. Bruce’s ideals. She flinched slightly as Bruce wrapped an arm around her and gently pulled her back into his chest. Like she was expecting something else.

“I don’t give a flying fig about _Robin_.” He stated firmly. “_I love you._ I love _Jaisa_. My _daughter_. I am thrilled to have _you_ back. Whatever that means. As Red Hood or not. As whatever you want to be. We’ll work out the details. I’m just ecstatic that you’re _home_.”

Jai opened her mouth, trying to stutter a reply but he just shook his head and Alfred handed her a cookie.

She was trembling. Bruce could feel it. Pulling another stool over, he rearranged them so she was tucked into his side as Alfred poured them all tea and insistently placed a glass of water in front of Jai. She drank it gratefully.

She tried to sit up but Bruce wouldn’t relinquish her.

With a choked laughed, she told him, “You’re going to have to let me go sometime, B.”

“Who says?” Her father grumbled, moving the teacup closer to her as Alfred sat down on her other side and took her hand.

She sighed, relaxing into him. She wasn’t sure if she knew how to be a part of a family again. But she had the feeling they weren’t going to let her hide away.

Feet pounded in the hall, hurrying toward the kitchen.

“Shit.” She muttered. It had to be Dick.

Bruce gently rubbed her shoulder as her brother burst into the room, hair in disarray. He’d obviously changed in a hurry; his sweats hung askew and his shirt on backward. The area around his eyes still red from where he'd ripped his mask off.

“Bruce? Steph said there was an emergency? What’s -” He stuttered to a stop as he took in the scene in front of him, confusion swirling in his eyes. “Hood? Where’s your…” Suddenly, he gripped the island as the blood drained out of his face. “_Little Wing?!_”

“Hey, Big Bird.” She offered, with a weak smile. Shit, her eyes were watering again. When was she going to run out of tears?

“I - Jaisa… All this time…?” He asked, plaintively.

Alfred rose again, with a pat of her hand, and set another cup in front of Dick. “Teatime, Master Dick.”

“Yeah.” He answered faintly. “Did Damian know?”

She winced. _Fuck_, what was she going to tell the brat?

**Author's Note:**

> This is **not** _To Shatter Olympus._ I know I've been teasing that on tumblr. It's coming. Yet, it is not... unrelated, either.  
[My Tumblr](https://primeemeraldheiress.tumblr.com/)  
[Garpie64](https://garpie64.tumblr.com)


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